Free apps

Free apps worth using instead of paying

If a good free app already does the job, you should just use it. These are easy to install, and each link goes straight to the developer. We don't make them.

Video and audio

OBS Studio
Record your screen and stream live.
From OBS Project. Instead of Streamlabs, Loom for long recordings.
Get OBS Studio
Shotcut
Edit video on a simple timeline, including trims and cuts.
From Meltytech. Instead of CapCut, Premiere for simple edits.
Get Shotcut
Kdenlive
Edit video with more advanced features.
From KDE. Instead of Premiere Pro.
Get Kdenlive
HandBrake
Convert video to other formats and shrink it.
From The HandBrake Team. Instead of Paid video converters.
Get HandBrake
Audacity
Record and edit audio, and even out loudness.
From Audacity Team. Instead of Adobe Audition.
Get Audacity
VLC
Play almost any video or audio file.
From VideoLAN. Instead of Paid media players.
Get VLC
Buzz
Turn audio and video into text, offline.
From Buzz. Instead of Otter, Descript transcription.
Get Buzz

Photos and design

GIMP
Edit and retouch photos.
From The GIMP Team. Instead of Photoshop.
Get GIMP
Krita
Paint and draw.
From Krita Foundation. Instead of Photoshop for painting, Procreate.
Get Krita
Inkscape
Make logos and vector art.
From Inkscape Project. Instead of Illustrator.
Get Inkscape
darktable
Organize and develop RAW photos.
From darktable. Instead of Lightroom.
Get darktable
Upscayl
Enlarge images with AI on your own computer.
From Upscayl. Instead of Topaz Gigapixel.
Get Upscayl
Blender
Make 3D models and animation.
From Blender Foundation. Instead of Cinema 4D.
Get Blender

Documents and notes

LibreOffice
Write documents, spreadsheets and presentations.
From The Document Foundation. Instead of Microsoft 365.
Get LibreOffice
Calibre
Organize and convert ebooks.
From Kovid Goyal. Instead of Paid ebook converters.
Get Calibre
Joplin
Take notes that stay in your own files.
From Joplin. Instead of Evernote, OneNote.
Get Joplin
Xournal++
Write and draw on PDFs.
From Xournal++ Team. Instead of GoodNotes, PDF markup tools.
Get Xournal++

Getting organized

AppFlowy
Keep notes, tasks and boards in one place.
From AppFlowy. Instead of Notion, Trello.
Get AppFlowy
KeePassXC
Store your passwords in a file you control.
From KeePassXC Team. Instead of 1Password, LastPass.
Get KeePassXC
ShareX
Take screenshots and short screen recordings on Windows.
From ShareX Team. Instead of Snagit.
Get ShareX
7-Zip
Open and make zip files.
From Igor Pavlov. Instead of WinRAR, WinZip.
Get 7-Zip
Actual Budget
Budget without connecting your bank.
From Actual Budget. Instead of YNAB, Monarch.
Get Actual Budget

Whiteboards, on the web

Excalidraw
Sketch diagrams and ideas in your browser.
From Excalidraw. Instead of FigJam, Miro.
Get Excalidraw
draw.io
Make flowcharts and diagrams.
From draw.io. Instead of Lucidchart, Visio.
Get draw.io
Penpot
Design screens and layouts in your browser.
From Penpot. Instead of Figma.
Get Penpot

For developers

Bruno
Test APIs.
From Bruno. Instead of Postman.
Get Bruno
DBeaver Community
Work with databases.
From DBeaver. Instead of TablePlus, Navicat.
Get DBeaver Community

Comfortable with a command line? FFmpeg is the free engine behind many video apps, including HandBrake. It has no ordinary installer, so it isn't on our list.

Common questions

Do you make these apps?

No. Each one is made by its own developer, and every link goes to that developer's own download page. They don't endorse us.

Do you get paid for these links?

Not at the moment. If that ever changes for an app, its entry will say so.

How did you choose them?

They have to be free and easy to get: an ordinary installer or a website, with no terminal or developer skills needed. We left out projects that are hard to install, however good they are.

Why not just sell these in a bundle?

They're already free, so there's nothing to charge for. We'd rather point you to them, and spend our time on the tools that are harder to find for free.